Annealing furnace



Jan. 22 1924.

C. C. BALDWIN ANNEALING FURNACE Filed April 20 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l jiy Fiyafi Jan; 22, 1924. 2 1,481,338

C. C. BALDWIN ANNEAL ING FURNACE Filed April 20 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 22, E924.

uaarao STATES PATENT DFFECE.

CHAUNGEY C. BALDWIN, F PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO STANDARD UNDERGROUND CABLE COMPANY, 'IION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

0F PETE AMBOY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- aimn'anme summon Application filed. April 20, 1922. Serial No. 555,675.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHAoNonY C. BALD- WIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Perth Ambo county of Middlesex, and

a State of New ersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Annealing Furnaces, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accoms panying drawings, forming a part of the 1 same.

This invention relates to that class of annealing furnaces in which a retort is supported over a sealing, cooling or quenchingtank, and the charge of material to be annealed is lowered when annealed directly downward from the retort into the water contained in said tank.

The retort is of inverted form and secured to a suitable base at or below the water level so in the tank and the invention comprises an improved means of liftin the charge from the tank into the retort, or supporting the charge therein during the heating operation, and for lowering the charge into the tank to '25 be cooled, and finally lifting it from the water to a loading-floor where the material to be annealed is assembled in suitable form to'be charged into the retort and afterward returned to the said floor. The material is preferably assembled upon a platform or wagon which is transferred to, a suitable carrierwhich sustains it in the different movements to which it is subjected.

The invention consists partly of fixtures for connecting the sling of a crane to the carrier, and partly tothe construction of the seat upon which the retort is sustained to permit the connections of the sling to engage the carrier upon both sides of the retort, and

w to molve the cargier without 'obstructiogn,

from below the retort to-the loading-floor.

Heretofore, the cooling tank of such furnaces has been provided with various kinds of mechanism for handling the charge, to

M place it in the retort and to quench it and return it to the loading-floor after it is annealed.

It is evident that mechanism operated under water-cannot so readily be kept in fiflorder, or repaired as readily as mechanism operated above the water level; and itis also evident that the less mechanism is employed to operate such an annealing furnace, the

less attention such mechanism requires and the lem it is likely to get out of order.

In the present invention, mechanism located in the tank is wholly dispensed with,

and also special mechan sm such as has heretofore been employed; and the different movements of the charge are effected by an overhead or travelling crane which, by means of a suitable sling, is engaged with a carrier adapted to transfer the charge from the loading-floor to the retort, and back again when annealed.

The operating of the crane and its connections to the carrier will be understood by reference to the annexed drawing, in which Fig; 1 isa cross section of the retort and its combustion-chamber and the tank, with the platform raised; Fig. 1 is a plan of the carrier with the'liftinghooks and the loaded platform thereon; Fig. 1 is an edge view of the carrier and platform without the connections to the crane; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a tank with the retort fixed over the tankat one end and a loading-floor arranged a little above the water level at the opposite end, the platform and coils resting upon the bottom of the tank; Fig. 3 is a plan of the tank with the loading-floor. at one end and the base-plate for the retort at the opposite end, the lower half of such baseplate being omitted to show the supportingbeams; and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the relation of the locking-hook and links for coupling the carrier to the sling. Figs. 4 and 7 view the pillar at right-angles to the view in' Figs. 5 and 6.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show the progressive movements of the locking-link into engagement with the locking-hook.

Fig. 5 shows the said link connected to one of the pillars for lifting the carrier; Fig. 6 shows the upper link engaged with a stationary locking-hook; Fig. 7 shows the pillar moved downwardly a little to shift the load from the lower link to the upper link upon the locking-hook, the weight being thus carried by the second link, when the lifting-hook is detached. from the first.

' Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the carrier and platform with a platform raising-truck inserted between the same, to remove the platform.

A collar 11 is shown upon the exterior of the retort 12 near its open lower end, such collar resting upon a base-plate 13 which is supported on cantilever beams 14 so that the retort extends over the tank T, and projects into the water sufiiciently to form a water-seal.

A combustion-chamber 15 is shown enclosing the body of the retort and would be beat ed by any suitable means as, for instance, gas-burners applied to the inlets 16 in the usual manner. The gases are discharged from the smoke-chamber by a flue 17, but it is to be understood that the retort may be heated by an suitable means.

The end 0 the tank opposite the retort is rovided withaloadiug-floor 18 separated rom the retort by a sufficient space 37 to lift the carrier from the tank when immersed and transfer it to the said floor.

A trap-door 32 is shown hin ed to th base-plate 13 and extends across t e space to the loading-floor.

Such door forms a part of the floor when it is closed and affords safer access to the difi'erent parts of the floor by such closing of the tank. The trap-door 1s, in practice, counterbalanced and is easily lifted, when reripired, by an air-hoist.

carrier 19 is shown upon the floor with a platform 20 thereon loaded with coils of wire 21. 7

The retort is charged by moving the car-' rier with the loaded platform beneath the retort and then raising these parts to the point required to enclose the charge wholl within the retort above the water leve Such liftin of the carrier is effected by connecting it etachably to the chains of a sling as hereinafter set forth.

The carrier is proportioned or formed with extensions to reject be 0nd the sides of the retort, as s own in .igs. 1 and 1, and pillars 23 are projected upwardly therefrom so that they extend above the water upon opposite sides of the combustion-chamber 15, when the retort is charged.

The carrier is moved to shift the charge in the desired manner by an'overhead travellin crane, which is shown in the usual form wit a movable bridge 22 running upon the side-frames 23, and provided with a carriage 24 movable upon the bridge.

The hoisting-chain or rope 25 which depends from the carriage 24 is connected to a sling comprisinga four-armed cross 34 with a chain 35 depending from each arm of the cross, which is proportioned to sus-' pend the chains 35 in proximity to the pillars of the carrier when ready for engagement therewith.

These .four chains areterminated each by a hook 10 to engage the pillars for lifting the carrier and looking it in its elevated position.

The pillars of the carrier are provided menses each in the top with an eye 28, and upwardly projecting locking-hooks 29 are fixed rigidly to the furnace or its support, by which hooks the carrier and its load are suspended during the heat-treatment of the charge.

A so-called bottom-link 26 is connected permanently with the eye of the pillar, and a so-called upper-link 27 is interlocked with the bottom link 26. The former is provided to engage the hook 10 upon one of the chains 35 of the sling, which may then operate to lift the carrier and its load. The links 27 are provided to hook upon the locking-hooks 29, which can be effected by hand when the crane has raised the pillars into proximity to the locking-hook, as shown in The locking-hooks 29 are fixed in such a position that when the platform is sufficiently raised the illar-eyes stand in proximity to the loc ing-hooks, and the upper link 27 hangs loosely from the lower link during' such movement. (see Fig. 5.) The upper link is therefore free to be looped over the locking-hook 29, which forms a stationary and rigid support for the load in the retort, when the link 27 is engaged therewith.

The links 26 and 27 are made large enough to admit both the lifting-hook 10 and the link 27 into the link 26, (see Fig. 7) so that the link 27 can be freely hooked over the locking-hook; and the hook 10 then disen aged from the link 27 andthe crane moved elsewhere. (See Fig. -7).

The weight of the load previously borne by the four pillar-links is transferred to the locking-hooks 29, by lowering the sling until in r I Tn the longitudinal movement of the carrier its pillars necessarily move in slots or Spaces 31 in the floor over the tank, which spaces cut off the retort from the sides of the tank and necessitate its support upon the cantilever beams 14 orother means which extend parallel with the slots.

A particular connection of the platform and the carrier is shown in Figs. 2 and 8, by which the platform and its load may be transferred from or to the carrier fromor to any point in a factory, by using some type ofplatform-raisin trucks WhlOh are now in common use an which are used in connection with aflat platform having depending edges which form legs 36 between which the platform-raising truck 38 can be inserted to raise the platform slightl from the carrier, which renders it mova Is by the truck-handle.

amas Such trucks are operated electrically, mechanically or by hand.

The depending edges 36 upon the plat form are shown in ig. 2, and the carrier 19 is fitted thereto, so that when the platform is centrally beneath the retort the pillars upon the carrier are in line with the locking-hooks 29, to engage the same.

It will be observed that the use of a crane and its sling to raise and lower the platform beneath the retort requires an overhung or cantilever support for the retort with slots 31 in the floor at opposite sides of the retort into which the illars of the carrier may move to bring t e center of the platform beneath the center of the retort.

It is obviously immaterial how the chains of the sling are connected detachably to the carrier so as to move it up or down, or longitudinally in the tank. Any suitable means may therefore be used for such detachable connection in the place of the permanent connection of the links to the pillars at their upper ends. Loose links may be used in place of the links 27, which would operate precisely the same to lift the load and to hold the link 26 adjacent to the lockinghook as the construction shown in Figs. 5,

6 and 7, with only one disadvantage, that loose links would not be permanently secured to an part of the mechanism and might there ore be mislaid or lost.

There is no mechanism required in this invention which can get out of order, or which is exposed to the deteriorating effect of immersion in the tank. The retort is always water-sealed and is never opened to cause the cooling of its contents.

The cheapness of this apparatus is very great compared tothe cost of any special device applied-to the tank for handling the platform and its load therein; as the crane requires only to be fitted with the proper sling, with meansfor engaging it to the pillars upon the carrier, and the. platform requires to be fitted with a suitable carrier, and the retort to be provided with. suitable stationary locking hooks upon which the load of the charge can be suspended when it is elevated into the retort.

It will be observed that not a single piece of this mechanism is finished, or requires accuracy of form and size to make it operative, as the chains and hooks employed are all rough, and operate better, from the looseness of their fitting, than if they were highly finished and fitted accurately to one another.

If an electric crane be employed, automatic limit-switches can be connected thereto for automatically controlling the height to which the charge is elevated within the retort, or lowered within the sealing-tank, the

links being applied to the locking-hook to sustain the charge when at its highest position.

The hooks 29 are termed locking-hooks herein because they secure the retention of the charge in its adjusted position within the retort during the annealing operation.

It will be understood that the sole use of the water in the tank is to fill the open bottom of the retort and prevent any access of air to the metal while being heated, as such access causes oxidation and. discoloration.

It is therefore necessary that the water in the tank should be maintained a little above the open. mouth of the retort to expose to the full heat of the retort all the articles which are carried by the platform, so it is necessary that the platform shall be moved into the bottom of the retort a sufficient distance to bring all of such articles above the water-line.

It will be understood from the above description that the means for carrying out my invention is not limited to the precise construction shown in the drawing.

The cantilever-beams 14c necessarily require suitable anchorage at their outer ends to balance the weight of the furnace and its contents, and it will be understood that means for such purpose is in practice provided. I I

The platform which moves the load into the retort does not necessarily require a carrier detachable from the platform as it is only essential that extensions should project from the platform beyond the outer wall of the furnace, from which extension connections may be made to the sling of the crane.

' Having thus set forth the nature of the invention what is claimed herein is:

ing the load in the retort, a platform fitted to enter the bottom of the retort with its load, and a traveling crane with connections for raising and lowering the platform below the retort and for depositing the platform with its load upon the loading-floor.

2. An annealing furnace having a suitably heated retort inverted over a sealingtank, a movable platform supporting the load to be annealed within the retort, extensions connected with the platform and projected laterally beyond the sides of the retort, with pillars upon said extensions projecting above the tank and provided with means to engage a sling, and a crane for raising and lowering the sling to charge and discharge the load into and out of the retort.

3. An annealing furnace having a suitably heated retort inverted over a sealing-tank, a movable platform supporting the load to be annealed within the retort, extensions connected with the platform and projected laterally beyond the sides of the retort, pillars upon said extensions with an eye at the top of each, upwardly projecting lockinghooks fixed to the retort, adjacent to the pillar-eyes, and two links for each of the pillars, one to engage the eye to lift the load and the other to engage the lockinghooks to hang the load thereon.

t. An annealing furnace having a suitably heated retort fixed over a sealing-tank, aplatform supporting the load to be annealed within the retort, a carrier applied to the lower side of the platform and extended beyond the sides of the retort, and a crane and sling with means adapted to engage the oppositeends of the carrier for raising and lowering the oaded platform in the tank.

5. An annealing furnace constructed according to claim 1, and having means for locking the carrier with the loaded platform in the retort.

6. An annealing furnace having a suitably heated retort fixed over a sealing-tank, a platform supporting the load to be annealed within the retort and having downwardly projecting legs at its opposite edges, a carrier fitted to the lower ends of the legs with open space between the platform and the carrier, in which space a hand-lifttruck may be inserted, and a crane and sling with means adapted to engage the opposite ends of the carrier.

7. An annealing furnace constructed according to claim 3, and having means for locking the carrier wit-h the loaded platform in the retort, and for disengaging the sling from the carrier when thus loaded.

8. An annealing furnace having a suitably heated retort inverted over a sealingtank with cantilever-beams at one end to support the retort, a platform supporting the load to be annealed within the retort,-a carrier applied to the lower side of the platform and extended beyond the sides of the retort, and having upright pillars with means to engage a sling, and a travelling crane with sling engaged with the said means for raising and lowering the carrier below the retort, and means for locking the carrier in its elevated position.

9. An annealing furnace having a tank, a retort inverted over the tank, a floor over the tank around the retort, a platform to carry the charge into the retort, pillars con- .nected with the platform and projected upwardly at opposite sides of the retort, a slot in the floor to clear the pillars at each side of the retort, and a travelling crane with a sling and means to engage the sling detachably to the pillars, as herein set forth.

10. An annealing furnace constructed according to claim 9, and having means connected with the retort for supporting the platform during the heating of the charge.

11. An annealing furnace having a sealing-tank, cantilever projected over one end of the tank and provided with a base, a retort inverted over such base, a platform supporting the load to be annealed within the retort, extensions from the said platform to the sides of the cantilever base, slots at the sides of the furnace over the said extensions, and a crane having a sling adapted to move in the slots with means to engage the ends of the said extensions.

12. An annealing furnace having a sealing-tank, a retort inverted over the tank, a platform to carry the charge into the retort, pillars connected with the platform and projected upwardly at each side of the retort, and a travelling crane having a four-armed sling with chains fitted to engage the pillars detachably.

13. The method of maneuvering the charge for an inverted stationary retort, which consists first in preparing the charge upon a loading-floor, second, lifting and suspending the same above the said floor and immersing it in the tank, third, moving the suspended charge through the water in the'tank to a point beneath the retort, fourth, lifting the platform with its charge into the retort, and hanging it thereon. and fifth, lowering the charge from the retort and moving itto the loading-floor andidepositing it thereon with continuous suspension upon the lifting means throughout. the entire operation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set in hand.

y CHAUNCEY C. BALDWIN. 

